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TRAVELLER
think. The idea of them becoming ski instructors is
obviously outlandish when we start, but we want to
show them that it is possible.”
It’s sure a sign of the fact that skiing is more
accessible than ever. Of course, not everyone who
participates in Snow-Camp is going to end up working
as an instructor but, as Charlish says, “Even the kids
who just do Snow-Camp London, the introductory
two-day course we hold at Chatham dry slope and
Hemel Hempstead Snow Centre [on the outskirts of
London] get a lot out of it in terms of self-confidence
and having their eyes opened to new opportunities.”
There are currently four levels of the Snow-Camp
curriculum, ranging from an intensive two-day intro
at Snow-Camp London to the final Snow-Camp Excel
course, run in partnership with Snowsport England,
when the children are taken to the Alps. The total cost
to complete all four courses over a year is £1,400 per
young person, with each place subsidised by Snow-
Camp’s fundraising, alongside donations, bursaries
and the youth projects themselves.
So how many actually complete the entire four
courses each year? “Twenty young people a year reach
the Snow-Camp Excel stage and they go to Les Deux
Alpes to earn their Level 1 Instructor qualification.
When the first batch of 20 kids qualified last year, it
was truly a great moment. Of those 20, 11 ended up
working for us and teaching their peers on the next
round of beginner programmes,” says Charlish.
Crucially, the kids on the course agree that it’s a
unique experience. Take Tony, a 17-year-old from
Westminster. Previously, a games console was as close
as he would have got to the mountains, but thanks to
Snow-Camp, he’s not only learned to “come down
a massive mountain with speed, control and
“When the first batch of 20
kids qualified last year, it was
a truly great moment”
Many of the kids
are seeing theAlps
for the first time
Facing challenges
together forges
new friendships
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